Bristol City Council grants planning permission to create new arena

YTL Arena Bristol has announced that Bristol City Council has granted planning permission to repurpose the Brabazon hangars to create an arena for Bristol.

The council’s planning committee made the decision when they met on Wednesday 4 March at City Hall.

Due to the location and scale of the project, the decision will now be referred to the Secretary of State for final confirmation.

YTL Arena Managing Director, Andrew Billingham, said:

We’re delighted that the council has entrusted us with this brilliant opportunity to put Bristol on the world stage. It is a huge step forward for our plans. We’re incredibly grateful to all those who have supported us and encouraged us on this journey. We are committed to delivering a venue that everyone can be proud of and that will benefit not just Bristol, but the whole of the wider city region.

YTL Arena will be both financially and environmentally sustainable. It will be flexible to attract a wide range of events to suit all interests, from music and sport to comedy and family entertainment.

Andrew said:

We will celebrate all that is great about Bristol and the south west. If you are local we hope you will feel at home. If you are visiting we hope you will leave wanting to come back for more.

There is a huge amount of work to be done now: with detailed designs and plans expected to take at least six months. This will be followed by a two year construction phase. The target opening date is early 2023.

Famed for being the birthplace of Concorde, this is the next step in the amazing history of the home of Supersonic!

About the project

The YTL Arena Complex will breathe new life into the historic Brabazon Hangars, transforming them into an exciting, vibrant destination open all year round, offering a range of entertainment events, and creating a new place to eat, work and play.

Visitors to the arena will experience more than a show, with vibrant food and drink areas, lounges and bars, and live pre-show entertainment on our community stage, showcasing local talent. The venue will take live music and entertainment into the community to inspire and engage the next generation.

The supersonic heritage and pioneering history of the hangars is a precious gift which will be celebrated and preserved for all to enjoy. Technology will be embraced and sustainability will be made a key focus, considering challenges throughout the design, construction and future operation.

The Brabazon Hangars offer three individual but interlinked areas:

• Central Hangar – YTL Arena: 17,080-capacity, the third largest in the UK. Multi-purpose, flexible and unique arena auditorium, allowing Bristol to host full capacity live music shows, but also to offer sporting events, family entertainment and comedy shows.

• East Hangar – Festival Hall: a flat floor space for trade shows, exhibitions, conventions and other events.

• West Hangar – The Hub: a place to eat, work and play. With a visitor attraction, leisure, workspace and food and drink.

Together they will offer a 365 day a year thriving entertainment destination, attracting large scale, live events and new business to the region.

The arena will form part of a wider new neighbourhood for north Bristol called Brabazon.

YTL has appointed Grimshaw in partnership with Manica Architecture to be the design team for the arena project. Landscape architects Grant Associates and planning consultants Avison Young have also been appointed to help support the arena through the planning process.

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YTL Arena Managing Director, Andrew Billingham, was one of some 270+ industry executives in attendance at the 2019 edition of ALSD International, hosted at Croke Park last October. Andrew plans on joining us for the 2020 edition to share updates on the latest developments regarding this exciting project.

Image & video, courtesy: YTL

The 2020 edition of ALSD International – Europe’s leading event for the Premium Seat & Hospitality sector being held at Liverpool Football Club’s iconic Anfield stadium this October 12-13 – will include a high level conference focused on how to increase revenue through new builds, renovations & service expansions, behind-the-scenes venue tours, networking events and an exhibition showcasing the latest products, services & solutions.

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#ALSD – Leading the Premium Seat sector for the last 30 years

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